Commercial package of medicine.



J. K. LILLY. COMMERCIAL PACKAGE OF MEDICINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001230, 1907. Patented July 27, 1909.

witnesses )ZM/ifl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' JOSIAH K. LILLY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A'SSIGNOR TO ELI LILLY &COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

. CoMMEnCIAL PACKAGE OF MEDICINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 27, 1909.

Original application tiled September 1, 1906, Serial No. 333,026.Divided and this application filed October 30, 1907. Serial No. 899,890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosIAII Ix. LILLY, a citizen of" the United States,residing at In dianapolis, in the county of Marion and State v ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CommercialPackages of a Pharmaceutical Preparation, of which the following is aspecification.

In the nt-anufacture and marketing of a liquid pharmaceuticalpreparation consisting broadly of a ferrous salt, a carbonate, or itsequivalent, and a liquid carrier for these two substances of suchcharacter as to prevent their combination into ferrous carbonate,

and prevent their oxidation, and consisting specifically of a solutionof ferrous sulfate and sodium carbonate in glycerin, it has been foundthat, in order that the preparation may retain its medicinal value for along period, it is desirable to so package the preparation as to protectit while sealed and auto m atically protect it after it has been onceunsealed. My present application, therefore,

. which is a division of my application Serial No. 333,026, filedSeptember 1,1906, relates to the improved package for this pharmacewtical preparation.-

The accompanying drawing is a vertical section of a package embodying myinvention;

As disclosed in the application before mentioned, my imprir-edpharmaceutical pre )aration comprises specifically a mixture offerroussulfate, potassium carbonate and glycerin, although of course itwill be understood that any satisfactory ferrous salt may be substitutedfor the sulfate, any satisfactory alkaline carbonate, or other substancecapable of furnishing the necessary CO group for the subsequentproduction of ferrous carbonate, may be substituted for the potassiumcarbonate, and any liquid carrier capable of holding the otheringredients in suspension so as to prevent the normal production offerrous carbonate may be substituted for the glzycerin.

In ractice I have found that, for producg tfie medicine in commercialquantities, the following formula has been satisfactory. (a) In elevenv(11) gallons of pure glycerin dissolve, by aid of gentle heat, three (3)pounds, four (4) ounces, two hundred and rinety-two (292) grains of pureferrous sulfate. (b) In four (4) gallons of pure glycerin dissolve, byaid of gentle heat,'one (1) pound,

ten (10) ounces, ninety (90) grains of pure potassium carbonate. (c)\Vhen cool, place solution (a) in an earthenware vessel. of sufficientcapacity and add slowly, with stirring, solution (1)). When thoroughlymixed, pour on sufficient pure mineral'oil to cover the surface in orderto protect from oxygen and moisture in the air, whereupon it is ready tobe drawn off from below into bottles or other suitable packages. 7

Any desirable form of package may be used but the ordinary bottle, suchas is illustrated in the drawings, is probably the most satisfactory.scribed is delivered into the bottle so as to nearly fill the same and Iadd to this mixture at small quantity of a neutral non-volatile oil,conveniently a tasteless and colorless petroleum oil, in sufficientquantity to form a light film entirely over the top of the li uid'.

Then, in order to further prevent any 5 ightreaction which might resultfrom airv in the u )per end of the bottle during a long periodofstorage, either in thefactory or on a druggists shelves, I fill thespace in the bottle, above the oil film, with carbon dioxid gas and thenseal tightly by a cork or otherwise, as clearly indicated in the,drawing. The oil which is used as a film should preferably be tastelessand colorless, and the quantity relative to the medicine is quite small.

The carbon dioxid gas remains in the bottle so long as the package iscontinued in its original condition, but of course disappears as soon asthe bottle is uneorked and the first dose of medicine is taken. A doseof the medicine is only a small portion of the contents of the bottleand instructions are therefore given to shake Well before taking so thatthe film of protecting oil will be broken up and distributed in the bodyof the medicme. When a dose is poured off under these conditions only avery small part of the 'oil passes out and as soon as the bottle isalowed to remain standing for a short time the oil gathers at the top ofthe medicine and again forms a protecting film which is substantiallyair and moisture tight, and therefore prevents the access of air andmoisture to the medicine.

In the presenceof water the ferrous sul- The mixture hereinbefore de- 4'fate and the potassium carbonate readily unite to form. the medicinalferrous-carbonate and as 011 is desirable to serveas a protectionagainst lycerin is hygroscopic the film of.

the absorption of water by the glycerin. film of non-volatile petroleumoil upon such This protection will continue so long as there i medicine,a stopper, and a volume of carbon 15 Is any medicine left in thepackage, the oil dioxid gas filling the space between the stopbeingsufiicient in quantity to continue to per and oil film.

form a thin film even for the last dose.

I claim as my invention:

1. A package of medicine comprising a vessel containlng a liquidmedicine, a thin film of oil upon such medicine, a stop er, and a volumeof carbon dioxid gas filling the space between the stopper and oil film.

2. A package of medicine comprising a vessel containing a liquidmedicine, a thin In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand andseal at Indiana )olis, Indiana, this twenty-sixth day of ()cto lxn', A.I). one 20 thousand nine hundred and seven.

JOSIAH 1i. LILLY.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. H001), THOMAS W. McM EANS.

